Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 7o5,||5. Patented July-22, I902.

J. A..MOSHER. ACETYLENE GAS GENERATDR.

(Afplication filed Mar. 8', 1902. (l lo Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheet 2. V

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. MOSHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ADAMS do WESTLAKE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,115, dated July 22, 1902. Application filed March 8,1902. Serial No. 97,356. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. MOSHER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ohicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Generators,of which the following is a specification and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to that type of acetylene-generators in which the water is fed in a small stream to the carbid or other gas-producing material contained in the generatingchamber; and it has for its object to provide a simple and efficient generator of this type which shall be particularly adapted for supplying a small quantity of gas.

The invention consists generally of a reservoir, a generating cell, an intermediate chamber opening directly to the cell, and a conduit leading from the reservoir and entering the supplemental reservoir at its bot tom.

It further consists of means for venting the generating cell or tank in case of generation of gas in excess of that required for consumption or in the event of after generatiomwhich' sometimes occurs after the water is cut off and is caused by the presence of moisture within the generating cellor tank.

The invention comprises the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter particularly described, particularly designated in the claims, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the generator complete. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the generator, the water-reservoir being removed. Fig. & is a section on the line X X of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 relates to a detail of the carbid-receptacle, and Fig. 6 is a detail of the chair for seating the generating-tank.

In the embodimentof theinvention as illustrated, 10 indicates a bracket which is designed to be secured to a suitable support, such as awall and having connected thereto a reservoir 11 and a generating tank or cell 12. For attaching the reservoir the bracket 10 is provided in its upper end with a cup 13,

having secured therein the open end 13 of a receptacle or holder 14:.

Removably seated in the receptacle 14 is the reservoir 11, provided with a neck 15, extending into the cup 13, and in which is located a bridge 16, having an aperture through which is adaptedto slide the stem 17 of a valve 18, the said valve being held to its seat when the reservoiris removed from the holder M by a spring 19, coiled about the stem and reacting between the bridge 16 and a nut 20 on the end of the stem, and when the reservoir is seated in the holder the stem 17 of the valve strikes against the bottom of the cup 13, compressing the spring 19 and lifting the valve from its seat to permit the water to flow.

Leading from the cup 13 through the side thereof is a pipe or conduit 21, which enters at the bottom of a supplemental chamber or reservoir 22, provided in the bracket 10, the said conduit or pipe 21 extending in the form of a loop below the chamber 22 and being provided with a cook 23 for shutting off the water-supply. The Water contained in the chamber 22 is designed to be fed to the gen- 'eratingj-cell 12, and to this end their may be provided a tube or duct 24:, extending from the saidchamber, and the outlet of which is directed through the mouth 26 0f the generating-cell, and, if desired, such outlet may have loosely seated therein a spindle 27, adapted to retard the flow of water.

The generating-cell 12 may be secured or attached to the bracket 10 in any suitable manner, as-by providing a chair 28, connected by links 29 to crank-arms 30, fixed'to a shaft 31, passing through the bracket 10. The crank-arms are controlled by means of a handle 32, secured to one of them, and serve to draw up the generating-cell and force the lid or top 33 thereof against a flange 34, projecting from the bracket 10 and surrounding an opening 35,adapted to register with the mouth in the top of the cell.

In order to the better securing of the generating-cell, the chair 28 is provided with a plate or seat 36, upon which the bottom of the generating-tank rests and between which and the bottom of the chair are interposed expansion-springs 37, coiled about pins 38,

fixed to the plate 36 and extending through guide-apertures in the bottom of the chair, so that when the cell is forced up againstthe bracket 10 in the manner heretofore explained a snug fit will be compelled by the springs 37 reacting between the plate 36 and the chair 28. An outlet for the gas from the generator is provided by way of a passage or chamber 89 in the bracket 10, and into which in the construction illustrated the tube 24 extends.

The carbid-receptacle, located in the generating-cell, may be of any desired construction, as the wire basket 40, supported from the bottom of the generating-cell by legs 41,

and the cover 33 of the cell is secured by links 42, pivoted to the generating-cell and engaging bifurcated lugs 43 on the said cover.

Communicating with the conduit or pipe 21, preferably near the point where it enters the chamber 22, is an upwardly-extending or vertical vent-pipe 44, the upper end of which extends above the water-level which is maintained in the cup 13.

In the operation of the generator the water flows from the cup 13 through the pipe 21, filling the supplemental reservoir or chamber 22, and overflowing therefrom passes through the tube 24 on to the carbid in the generating-cell, the gas generated passing out by way of the passage or chamber 39 and thence to the burner or burners. As long as the water continues to flow air enters through openings 45 at or near the top of the holder 14. and past the valve 18 into the reservoir, thereby maintaining the water in the said holder at a constant level--that is to say, at the level of the bottom of the neck of the reservoir.

In case of generation of gas in excess of that required for consumption the abnormal pressure in the generating-tank causes the gas to enter the duct 24 and force the water from the supplemental reservoir 22 into the pipe 21. Should the excessive generation continue for a sufficiently long time, the water-level is forced down to the juncture of the pipe 44, when the gas will bubble up through the water in that pipe. If pressure be suddenly developed, the water will be blown out of the vent-pipe, as the column therein is less than that in the pipe 21. As soon as the pressure in the generating-tank is reduced to normal again the water will begin to flow, and the generation of gas will continue until the carbid becomes exhausted or the supply of water is shut off.

The function of the chamber 22 is to provide for the accumulation of a considerable volume of gas without increasing the pressure, and thus preventing blowing at the tip. An excess in gas-pressure beyond that of the water-pressure at the drip-aperture from the passage 2t instantly stops the flow. Should generation continue beyond the normal ca pacity of the burner, the water is forced back from the chamber 22 without appreciable increase in pressure, thus providing storage for a considerable quantity of gas.

The basket 40 is so made that the residuum of lime will readily fall through it, and hence bu t little accumulation of moisture is retained in the presence of the carbid. This condition is best secured also by the use of lump-carbid. The basket is dished at the bottom, so that the lump will always be directly below the drip-aperture, and the lime falls away as the slaking process proceeds. As a result the aftergeneration is very slight and in practice most always ceases beforethe chamber 22 is emptied of water, and hence the normal action is resu med before the excessive generation has become sufiicient to cause a blowing off at the vent.

Should the Water be forced entirely out of the chamber 22, the excessive supply of gas will then be relieved through the vent 4:4: without sufficient rise in pressure to cause blowing at the tip, as the vent leads from the water-pipe but little below the bottom of the in termediate chamber.

There is no blowing off through the cup of the reservoir, as the loop of the feed-pipe extends considerably below the point at which the vent branches therefrom, so that the gas cannot pass off through the loop without material rise of pressure, while it may pass 01f through the vent without such rise.

I claim as my' invention 1. In an acetylene-generator, in combination, a reservoir, a generating-cell, a receptacle into which the reservoir discharges, means for maintaining the water in the receptacle at a constant level, an intermediate chamber opening directly to the cell, and a conduit leading from the receptacle and entering the intermediate chamber at its bottom.

2. In an acetylene-generator, in combination, a reservoir, a generating-cell, a receptacle into which the reservoir discharges, means for maintaining the water in the receptacle at a constant level, an intermediate chamber opening directly to the cell, a conduit leading from the receptacle and entering the intermediate chamber at its bottom, and a ventpipe communicating with the conduit.

3. In an acetylene-generator, in combination, a reservoir, a generating-cell, a cup into which the reservoir discharges, means for maintaining the water in the cup at a constant level, a supplemental reservoir opening into the cell, a feed-water pipe leading from the cup to the supplemental reservoir and extending in the form of a loop below the same, and a gas-passage leading from the generatingce 1.

4.. In an acetylene-generator, in combination, a reservoir, a generating-cell, a cup into which the reservoir discharges, means for maintaining the Water in said cup at a constant level, a supplemental reservoir, a feedwater pipe leading from the cup to the supplemental reservoir and which is extended in below the same, communication between the supplemental reservoir and the generatingcell, and a vertical vent-pipe communicating with the feed-pipe near the supplemental reservoir and extending above the level of the Water in the cup into Which the reservoir discharges.

JOHN A. MOSHER.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR B. SEIBOLD, LOUIS K. GILLSON. 

